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Symbolická kubánská vězeňská cela na Václavském náměstí v Praze 17. - 18. března 2006
2006-04-03 / Jiří Knitl
Symbolická kubánská vězeňská cela na Václavském náměstí v Praze a aktivity s ní spojené jsou součástí řetězce vzpomínkových a protestních akcí v Evropě a Latinské Americe, které připomínají třetí výročí politických represí na Kubě v roce 2003. Více informací v českém jazyce najdete zde.
Commemorative Event in Prague on the three-year anniversary of the crackdown on the democratic opposition in Cuba
2006-04-01 / Jiří Knitl
Events began in Prague with a demonstration on Thursday 16th March at 17.00 outside the Cuban embassy on Sibiřském náměstí (Siberian Square) in Prague 6. The demonstration called for the release of Cuban political prisoners and expressed support for the Cuban democratic opposition.
On Friday 17 March, a symbolic prison cell was erected on Wenceslas Square in Prague in which from 10.00am, participants ‘served time‘ for one of the Cuban political prisoners. In addition to the cell, a series of photographs of the wives of activists imprisoned during spring 2003 were exhibited , women who protest together weekly in Havana against the imprisonment of their husbands. These women, who form the group the Women in White (Damas de Blanco), were last year awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Union for their non-violent protests.
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Commemorative Event in Santiago, Chile
2006-03-31 / Roisin Joyce
On the 20th march at 18.30pm, a conference and dialogue took place in the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center, located on Avenue 1460 in Santiago, Chile. The event was organized by the Chilean Committee for Democracy in Cuba in cooperation witn Mariana Aylwin, the daughter of Mr Patricio Azocar Aylwin, the former President of Chile. The conference and dialogue was organized to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Cuba. The decision to commemorate third anniversary was taken as it is believed vital that the world does not forget those activists imprisoned for defending human rights and promoting democracy.
Commemorative Event in Lisbon, Portugal
2006-03-31 / Roisin Joyce
On March 18, a demonstration took place in front of the Belem Culture Centre involving a giant truck playing cuban salsa to attract the public. The inside and sides of the vehicle were used to display an exhibition created by People in Need called “It is our problem too”, which documents the families of Cuban political prisoner’s families.
The exhibition was opened by José Ribeiro e Castro, MEP and member of ICDC, and Nikola Hořejš from People in Need. „There are few ways for political prisoners to escape their desperate conditions in prison: to be gravely ill, to suffer multiple heart attacks, to withstand hunger strikes or to attempt suicide. A less drastic method has proved to be international pressure on the government. it is for this reason that we are organizing this commemoration,“ said Hořejš.
Commemorative Event in Bratislava, Slovakia (Pontis Foundation and People in Peril)
2006-03-31 / Roisin Joyce
People in Peril and the Pontis Foundation together prepared a commemorative event to mark the anniversary of the mass crackdown on dissidents in Cuba on March 17. The event was entitled “Cuba – the Island Behind Bars“ and took place at the Cinema Charlie Center in Bratislava.
From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m, three films related to the issues of refugees, human rights abuses and dissidents in Cuba were screened. At 6 p.m. a discussion called “Cuba Seen By the Non-Typical Tourists“ took place. A political scientist, a journalist and an analyst for the area of education, who participated in a mission to Cuba, spoke about their impressions and experiences gained during the trip, as well as offering their opinions on Cuba from a professional point of view.
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Commemorative Event in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Pax Christi)
2006-03-31 / Roisin Joyce
On the 18th of March, a number of well-known Dutch writers, journalists, union leaders and politicians took part in a campaign in Amsterdam for the 75 Cuban prisoners of conscience. Pax Christi and its partner organisations BBO, CLAT, CNV, Cuba Futuro, Glasnost in Cuba, the Dutch Association of Journalists and Amnesty International joined forces to draw attention to the repression and censorship by the Cuban regime.
In Amsterdam, 22 well-known Dutch writers, journalists, union leaders and politicians adopted a prisoner of conscience with a similar professional background. Centred around a symbolic cell, a number of them demonstrated their support to the public by giving a speech, reading a passage of their own work, a poem, or a piece written by a Cuban prisoner. Afterwards, each participant symbolically donated a book by leaving it behind in prison while the public were also requested to do so. The latter activity is in the framework of a larger media campaign that Pax Christi is organizing throughout 2006 to draw attention to the censorship that the Cuban regime is imposing on its civil society.
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Commemorative Event in Madrid, Spain (Reporters without Borders)
2006-03-31 /
On March 18, 2006, Reporters without Borders, Madrid, organised a photo exhibition and presented the new RSF report documenting the human rights situation on the island which stressed that three years after the crackdown, the independent press refuses to remain in the dark.
Three years after the crackdown, Reporters Without Borders wanted to take stock of the situation on the island. Unable to send representatives to Cuba, the organization contacted journalists who were still living on the island, or in exile, members of an agency or freelancers, families of jailed dissidents and media outlets - such as Internet websites, radio stations, and publications - most of whom are based in Miami (the second largest Cuban city in the world, with close to 3 million nationals), Puerto Rico, and Madrid.
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Commemorative Events in Frankfurt and Berlin (International Society for Human Rights)
2006-03-31 / Roisin Joyce
The International Society for Human Rights organized twoevents in Germany to mark the anniversary of the arrest of Cuban political prisoners in March 2003. A memorial took place near the Cuban travel agency in Frankfurt/Germany, the biggest agency of its kind in Europe. During the memorial, flyers were distributed among the public and a petition was gathered for the release of independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas, currently on hunger strike, and in support of political prisoners such as Dr. Biscet.
The second event was organized by the International Society for Human Rights together with MCUD, Coordinatora Nacional Cubana, Movimiento Cubano de Unidad Democrática and Plataforma Internacional Cuba Democracia Ya! in Berlin as part of an international campaign to commemorate Cuba´s "Black Spring". A demonstration took place opposite the Cuban Embassy. The week before the events, the ISHR organized a press conference. >> more
Commemorative Event in Mexico
2006-03-30 / Roisin Joyce
The International Promoter of Human Rights organized a meeting by a public monument and distributed leaflets drawing attention to the situation of human rights in Cuba.
Commemorative Event in Belgrade
2006-03-30 / Roisin Joyce
The organization E-75 held a commemorative event in March 2006 in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Commemorative Event in Madrid, Spain (Cuba en Transicion)
2006-03-30 / Roisin Joyce
On the 18th March, Cuba en Transicion coordinated a demonstration outside the Cuban embassy in Madrid where a letter was read by Damas de Blanco and in addition a complete list of the political prisoners was read in public.
Commemorative Event across Latin America (Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America)
2006-03-30 / Roisin Joyce
A group of young people had a meeting in a public place to inform people about the acts of March 18th 2003 when 75 political prisoners were taken by the Cuban government.
Commemorative Event across Latin America organized by the International Youth Committee for Democracy in Cuba
2006-03-30 / Roisin Joyce
More than 50 young people took part in a non-violent demonstration in front of the Cuban embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event was organized by the International Youth Committee for Democracy in Cuba and brought together young people from different political parties to demand the immediate liberation of alleged political prisoners on the island.
The International Committee was founded secretly in Havana in solidarity with dissidents and acts as a youth version of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba. Following the demonstration, participants prayed for those suffering from unjust imprisonment, lit candles and placed the candles opposite the embassy.
In Urugary and Peru, young people organized demonstrations in public places and later participants in Uruguay celebrated a mass to express their solidarity with the Cuban opposition.
Commemorative Event in Mexico
2006-03-29 / Roisin Joyce
The International Promoter of Human Rights (Promotora Internacional de Derechos Humanos ) organized a meeting by a public monument and distributed leaflets draw attention to the violation of human rights in Cuba.
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